Indecent Proposal
by waatp
Summary: Desperately struggling to get by, a young married couple, Jesse and Beca Swanson are offered the chance by a wealthy businessman to solve their money worries for good. Is the gamble worth it? Will their realtionship be strong enough to survive? An AU Jeca with a twist :)
1. High Highs and Low Lows

[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅] **Prologue** [̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]

Jesse: Losing Beca was like losing a part of myself. I thought nothing could change the way we felt about each other. I thought we were invincible.

Beca: Someone once said, "If you want something very badly … set it free. If it comes back to you, it's yours forever. If it doesn't, it was never yours to begin with." I knew one thing … I was Jesse's to begin with … and he was mine.

[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅] **Chapter One - High Highs and Low Lows** [̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]

Beca Mitchell and Jesse Swanson met each other on the first day of Kindergarten.

They would happily admit, as they got older, that they had hated each other on sight that first year they knew each other. It all started when Jesse would try to help himself and share Beca's brown bag lunch as his, lovingly packed by his over protective mother, was not all that appetising. He didn't realise then, and in fact it took him a few years to realise, that Beca was incredibly protective of her food and wouldn't think twice about trying to bury Jesse in the sandpit at recess as a result.

They bumbled through the first year, shooting mean eyes at each other over the painting pots and trading discreet, under the table, punches at each other until the second grade when they were paired up to take the girl and boy lead in a school play. Finding their mutual love of the arts formed an insatiable friendship that lasted all the way through to high school. Jesse was respectful of Beca's need for privacy, mindful of her need to have time by herself as she worked through the issues with her parents' divorce and Beca spent many hours at the drive-in movie theatre watching endless films that she had no interest in. But she'd do it for him. And only him.

On Tuesdays after Glee Club and Thursdays after their respective a capella groups, Jesse would drive both Beca and her best friends, Amy and Chloe, home. Beca would watch him in the rear-view mirror and she fell in love with his eyes. Gradually she fell in love with the rest of him as well and they got out of the friend-zone pretty easily and into a relationship by the time they hit sixteen.

In the summer that they both turned eighteen, their birthdays being only twelve days apart, Jesse proposed to Beca on the pier at Paradise Cove. He'd spent the last six months working two jobs and saving every nickle and dime he could scrape together for a pretty decent engagement ring. There was just the smallest of diamonds set rather proudly in it but Beca threw her arms around his neck, kissing him with fevered passion, as she thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

Of course their parents were against them getting married so young, offering advice for a long engagement or at least to be more worldly before settling down. Beca's folks even went so far as to try to forbid her from marrying Jesse, saying that it was too risky to settle down with the only boy she'd ever loved, despite their obvious lifelong friendship, which to them was as natural as breathing.

They'd known each other almost their entire lives and nothing and nobody could come between them. They didn't want the long engagement Jesse's parents suggested. Jesse said that a life without risk was no life at all.

So they eloped.

They hitchhiked to Las Vegas, pawned their iPods for the marriage licence and sold Jesse's guitar for food and accommodation and returned home four days later wearing matching wedding rings from a gumball machine. They moved into their friend Bumper's basement and got jobs in the local convenience store at the weekends. It wasn't easy but they were happy.

They graduated.

Jesse got a job with the local radio station, stacking CDs and working security in the evening. It wasn't exactly what he wanted to do but his enthusiasm and knowledge for music and especially up and coming local bands won him plenty of respect with his colleagues and management soon caught wind of his talents. He was encouraged to go back to college to start a music degree with the eventual hope of scoring movies for a career and he had to reduce his hours at the station. Beca put her career plans on hold and took a job waitressing at a local diner to help support them both. Her evenings were spent DJing and singing in local bars and nightclubs and while her musical talents were very well received, she simply couldn't afford the time to devote to it fully.

Jesse spent all his spare time working on projects to better their future. He spent weekends in studios and would explore the equipment to make it work for him. The time spent working on his first album meant everything to him.

"J?" Beca would ask as they would lay curled up on their broken sofa in their tiny rented studio apartment with a balcony above the diner where Beca worked, spending what little time they had together wrapped up in each other's arms.

"Yes?" Jesse would reply, absentmindedly stroking her arm as she lay buried into his side, one eye on the small television set balanced on the stack of college books, the other eye casting glances down Beca's half open shirt.

"Have I ever told you that I love you?"

"No." His reply was always the same.

"I do."

"Still?" Jesse would breathe into the top of her head, tucking a kiss into her soft hair that always smelt of coconut.

"_Always_."

[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]

They would take the time to remind each other that they still were in love and very much needed each other. They were determined to make it work and ignored all the well meant but unwanted warnings from their family. Envious friends wanted what they had, strangers would smile at them in the street as they goofed about.

They had their differences of course. Jesse's habit of taking his clothes off and leaving them on the floor for Beca to pick up after a double shift would drive her crazy. She would come home from work wanting nothing more than to kick off her shoes and relax with her music and dream of a way to make enough money to buy a mixing set.

"What do you think you are doing?" She would shout at him as she opened the door to piles of clothes and shoes and discarded book bags and college files. Jesse had the sense not to flinch as she pelted him with his balled up socks. Desperately wishing he cleared up before she came up from the diner below but as usual, he had been distracted by a melody running through his brain and wanted to get it written down before it was forgotten. Jesse would stand and try to hide some of the mess but knew Beca was on the warpath once she had started.

"Leaving your shoes on the table? What is wrong with you?"

"I'll do it later. What is the problem?" Jesse would sheepishly mutter, trying to defuse the situation by making puppy eyes at her. It rarely worked.

"I don't need to be doing your laundry and picking up after you!"

Beca would head towards the kitchen and Jesse would cover his ears knowing what was about to come. The shriek was right on cue.

"What about all this?" Beca would cry out, waving her hands at the carnage that was Jesse's cooking skills and he'd grimace. He knew he always needed to use at least three plates, a chopping board, both gas rings and several knives to make a simple sandwich but he couldn't help it. It was why he mostly ate in the diner downstairs with Beca when she took a break in her shift. "Why did you leave the gas on? You've got peanut butter on the floor Jesse!"

Beca would scoop up the knife and brandish it towards Jesse's junk.

"Put that down." He'd call from his relatively safe distance. "That is serious. You are gonna hurt someone."

"Hurt someone huh?" Beca'd pick up the nearest thing to hand and hurl it at him. It was the reason why they only had two glasses and one mug left.

"You're out of your mind!" Jesse shrieked as he would duck behind the kitchen door. "Goddamn it!"

"I hate you!" She said, tears in her eyes at both the frustration of their life and at just how tired she was. "I wish we had never met, I wish we had never married, I wish all of this would just go away."

Beca would whip him with a tea towel, catching his bare legs and he'd desperately try not to flinch as he'd try to wrestle whatever was in her hand away from her. He'd swipe the tea towel and throw it onto the counter, not caring that it landed on the lit gas ring.

He would grab her shoulders, his gaze burning into hers, rooting her to where she stood, hands on hips, eyes blazing with fury. She'd be livid at both him and the fire that would start in her belly by his mere touch and she'd twist sideways, struggling to pull free from the feelings in her heart and body.

"Come on. Let's just relax. Owwww!" He'd grab at his eye or his arm or wherever Beca had whacked him with her tiny fists that were never intended to actually do any harm.

"Did I hurt you?" Beca's mood would drop instantly and she'd rush to his side to check on him.

He'd pull her closer, making escape from the heat of his skin and the strength of his hands impossible and he would roughly crush his lips onto hers making her gasp. For a moment they would stared at each other, her face still furious but his full of compassion knowing he was the cause of her anger . Their chests would heave in unison, before his mouth would fall on hers, devouring her lips as his grip threatened to squeeze the life from her body.

"I'm sorry." She would say eventually.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"You were kidding?" Jesse would ask as he'd cup her face in his hands, peppering light kisses down her neck as she arched her back and held onto him closer. She'd breathe out a 'yes' as they'd sink to the floor, the blob of peanut butter forgotten as she wrestled to remove what little clothing he had on. Inspired, Jesse would do all he could to help take Beca's mind from their little argument and on that particular occasion, as he buried himself deep inside her, he made her completely forget about why she was cross in the first place as he kissed her passionately.

"J, you are on fire." Beca hissed, catching the heady scent of burning.

"You have no idea." Jesse replied, forgetting about the tea towel flaming on the stove.

[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]

They never had any real money and always lived paycheck to paycheck. For entertainment Jesse would take Beca to see local bands that moved him. Some were good but the majority still needed practice time in their parent's garages.

"What are we doing here?" Beca would ask. "They look like a bunch of amateurs before they have even opened their mouths. They look stupid."

"No, not stupid. Don't just use your eyes. Listen." Jesse would say as they shared a single bottle of beer, making Beca look and listen to things differently.

Their first real break came when the owner of the studio where Jesse worked died when Beca and Jesse were both twenty two. The owner's son, a pleasant man in his fifties with no interest in the arts or running a business offered it to Jesse to buy.

"Jesse, this is a steal!" Beca said, catching on to Jesse's excitement.

"Nobody else even knows about it yet."

"It's a great idea!"

"We could really build on it. Make it into a proper business for new bands and talents."

"You can really make a name for yourself." Beca enthused. "The studio will be brilliant because it will be a Jesse Swanson project."

"How are we supposed to get it though?"

"Borrow money, like everybody else." Beca said. "I'm telling you, these leverage-stockbroker-buyout guys that come through the diner. You should see the junk they buy. They would go crazy for a start up business like yours."

They sold everything they owned, including all of Beca's DJ equipment meaning she had no second income. They borrowed all of the money they could and took on as many extra shifts at work that they could find. They just managed to pull the money together in time and celebrated their purchase with a heated make out session in the recording studio. They had to tighten their belts for the loan payments, put having children on the back burner for a few years but it was their future so it was worth it. For a while, everything was shiny.

Then the recession hit.

Hard.

The diner went out of business and Beca lost her job. She tried everywhere for work but jobs were scarce. Investors pulled out of Jesse's project and he'd sit at their small office at the back of their studio where they'd set up 'home' poring over the books each night. They had nothing left to sell, their shared car long gone and were worried sick as they stood to lose everything.

"The bank has called in the demand note." Beca said as she woke Jesse one morning with a letter clasped in her hand and cried into his shoulder. He held her tight and promised her that he would make this work.

"Can they do that?" Chloe asked her later that evening as Beca had gone round to see if there was any work at Chloe's firm. It wasn't much but Chloe managed to get her a few hours admin work a week. It would be just enough to feed them.

"We don't have any income right now so they could attach our assets."

"What assets?"

"Our studio." Beca said sadly. "We've gotta keep up those payments."

"I'm sorry I can't do more for you." Chloe whispered and texted everyone she knew to see if there was anyone with any work out there for her friends. Amy came up trumps and got Jesse a part-time delivery job for her logistics company. It wasn't pretty work but it was honest and gave him use of the company vehicle.

Beca swallowed her pride and borrowed $2,000 from her grandmother; the only member of her family who had stayed in contact with them since she married Jesse. It wasn't enough, they needed $25,000 but it felt good to have it in her pocket and they paid everything for the month and had a little spare.

One of the delivery routes was heading out to Las Vegas and Beca would go along for the company. They slept in the back of the truck, curled tightly into each others arms; Beca feeling safe in Jesse's strong, powerful arms and Jesse resting better knowing he was doing something positive for them and for their future.

At the end of one drop, he turned to Beca in the front seat and grinned like the goofy teenager she'd fallen in love with.

"B?"

"What?" She said as she settled in for what she thought would be the journey back home.

"Put your boots back on."

"What's the matter?"

"I've an idea. Come on."

"What time is it?" Beca asked, looking out into the darkness of the desert behind them but Jesse just grinned and jumped out of the van.

A few minutes later, he was pulling Beca into the nearest casino. They'd not gambled the first time they'd come to Vegas, saving every nickel and dime they had to get their marriage licence so the bright lights and loud noises were a surprise to them both. The lower level of the casino was filled with people of every type. Beca rolled her eyes at the sight as Jesse pulled her in to the bowels of the casino, walking past rows of tables housing card games and dice games towards the slot machines.

Flower sellers wandered past them, waitresses in hot pants wandered around with drinks of every colour on silver trays, smiling sweetly and suggestively. The whizzing, clanking and chiming sounds of the slot machines rang out across the room, drawing in the people with promises of huge winnings. People with no idea of the time staggered left and right, filled to the brim with alcohol but desperate to spend their last dollar on the chance of a jackpot.

Jesse pulled Beca through the rows of one arm bandits, fruit machines and coin droppers. He suddenly stopped at one and Beca, intent on looking at the half dressed male bartender in the distance crashed into him.

"Jesse, what the fu-" Beca said, clutching her shoulder. She was tired and very hungry, seeing as it was at least 48 hours since they had had anything substantial to eat.

"-There is half a dozen quarters in the tray here!"

"Woo, Jesse, collect 'em quick. It's enough to pay the bank loan off." She replied sarcastically, but her mouth twisted into a smile anyway.

"Har dee har smart ass." Jesse said, dropping Beca's hand and collected the buck fifty from the tray. "Come on, play them."

"Jesse, seriously?. What are we doing here?"

"Just play them!" Jesse urged her, pushing the coins into her hand. "I've got a feeling."

"You always have a _feeling_." Beca said, earning a grin from Jesse as she slotted the money into the machine and listened as each one fell in turn into the inner workings of the "Kraken Unleashed" game. She pressed the start button each time but nothing worked.

"Kiss the coin." Jesse said.

"Dude, what?"

"For luck." Jesse laughed. "Trust me."

Beca kissed the quarter, just to see Jesse's reaction and was met with a cheesy grin before she slipped it into the coin slot. None of the others had made a noise on the way down and it wasn't until the fifth coin had disappeared that the lights went crazy and coins began spewing out of the bottom that Beca jumped back in surprise.

Jesse laughed out loudly and grabbed Beca, kissing her hard on the lips before gathering up the coins into his pocket. More and more coins flew out in all directions as Beca looked around at the people watching them with a shiver of embarrassment.

One of the floor walkers came past and offered Jesse a bucket to collect his winnings and he scooped them up happily, even waving to the crowd as he picked up the last few from the stained and soiled carpet.

"Okay?" Beca said. "Can we go now?"

"Go?" Jesse said. "We have to cash in our winnings."

Jesse handed Beca his wallet and picked up his bucket.

"I'm going to go cash this lot in! You okay to go and get us something to drink?"

"Sure!" Beca said, smiling for the first time in a while.

They parted company and Beca headed to the bar, pleased to be away from the bucket of coins. She was tired and just wanted to head on back to their studio for some sleep. She was still in the queue behind an old man wearing a tiara when Jesse rolled up behind her, slipping his hands around her waist and nuzzling into her neck.

"We won four hundred and seventeen dollars." He whispered and she spun around to face him.

"Dude, that's great! That's nearly a third of what we need this month!" Beca said as she reached up to kiss him gently on the lips. "Show me!"

Jesse reached into his pocket and pulled out the casino card.

"What's that?" Beca asked.

"I put our winnings on here."

"Why? We'll only have to cash out when we leave."

"We're not leaving! Come on!" Jesse said, pulling Beca by the hand out of the queue.

"Dude, what?"

"I'm still feeling lucky. I think we should give something else a go."

"Jesse? Come on, we shouldn't push our luck."

"We didn't have anything to start with so we've got nothing to lose."

"Jesse, no. That's more money than we can hope for." Beca said as she allowed herself to be tugged towards the small row of Craps tables.

"Five minutes. Just give me five minutes."

"Jesse? No? We didn't earn that money, it's a blessing. Let's go and leave it at that." Beca urged.

"It's all good, B. We're on a winning streak."

"I'm not watching while you lose." Beca said, tucking her hands into her pockets and wandering off. Jesse watched her leave as he turned his attention to the table.

[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]

Half an hour later, Beca found herself in one of the stores off the concourse, opposite the lifts. Squeezed in between a tacky gift shop and a mini convenience store, was a small boutique clothes emporium. Beca stopped to look in at the window as the stunning, shimmering, black cocktail dress caught her eye. Looking over her shoulder, she slipped into the shop.

Walking around the headless mannequins displaying dresses of all shapes and sizes, Beca ignored the stares of the shop assistants. She knew they were looking down their noses at her and she was suddenly aware of her basic outfit of skinny jeans and scruffy Converse.

She circled the table display in the middle of the room, inwardly scoffing at the offensive oppulence. The tall, ornate sculpture sat draped, dripping in gold jewellery that reeked of expensive prices rather than of good taste. Beca took in the delicate shoes on display and wondered how girls walked in them without breaking their necks.

Spying a silver tray covered in complimentary but expensive Belgium chocolates, Beca sneaked one gently off the plate and popped it into her mouth, enjoying the sweet, smooth taste immediately. She looked over her shoulder again and noting that she was now being ignored by the snooty attendants, she grabbed a handful of the chocolates just as the lift doors pinged and slipped them into her hoodie pocket, wanting to share them with Jesse when she saw him.

Spinning round, confident that she hadn't been seen, Beca's gaze met a pair of bright green eyes through the boutique window. A tall and well built, blonde man wearing a smart, well cut and very tailored suit, complete with crisp white shirt open at the collar, surrounded by six men in dark glasses and all sporting ear pieces was staring back at her, his mouth curved into a playful smile.

He grinned over at Beca, dropping his gaze to her pocket where she had just placed the chocolates. She wasn't quite sure what to make of the look until he gave her a gentle wink. She shyly smiled back at him and turned away as he went back to the men around him.

Running her fingers over the soft fabric, Beca found the dress she'd seen in the window. She looked a the price tag and blinked when she saw the cost. She knew she'd never be able to afford a dress as expensive. Wiping her hands on her jeans before plucking the hanger from the rack, she slipped the silky fabric over her head leaving the hanger dangling down her back. Turning to the mirror, she tugged her jacket sleeves down her arms and looked at herself in the small mirror to her right. Turning around she looked at herself before twisting her hair up into a messy knot at the back of her head, leaving a few strands falling softly down around her face.

"Why don't you put it on?" A clipped accent sounded out from behind Beca. She spun around, suddenly incredibly embarrassed that she'd been caught doing something so out of character, so feminine. She immediately moved to take the dress off, scooping her sleeves back up her arms and placing the hanger back in a rush. "It suits you."

"Well, I can't afford it." Beca said, looking over to the man who had caught her with the chocolates earlier as he stood, watching her with his arms folded across his chest.

"That's too bad." He said simply.

"Yep."

"I really think you ought to have the dress." He said, relaxing his arms, slipping his left hand into his pocket, showing a very expensive yet discrete gold Rolex.

"Yeah, right." Beca said, casting her eyes down to the floor.

"Let me buy it for you." The man said gently but firmly.

"You want to buy me this dress?" Beca asked, not meeting his eye.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I've enjoyed watching you. You've earned it."

"No, I haven't." Beca said, wanting to get out of the shop and back to Jesse.

"Let me buy it. As a present."

"The dress is for sale. I'm not." Beca remarked, leaving the boutique to find Jesse.

[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]

_"Boom! Skinny! Skinny! We got a new shooter now ... Coming out ... We need a seven ... Roll 'em now, girlfriend. Seven! Come on now! Come on now!"_

The group of excited people drew Beca's attention before she even saw Jesse standing in amongst them all.

"How are you doing?" She said, joining his side and linking her hand over his as he turned to her in excitement.

"Baby! We can't lose. I'm up over $9,000." Jesse said, his eyes brighter than Beca had ever seen before.

"I can't believe it!" Beca exclaimed.

"It's so great!" Jesse said, popping a kiss on her cheek before turning to the group of people surrounding him. "Hey everyone, this is my wife, Beca."

A chorus of hey's and greetings echoed loudly even amongst the whirring machines and sounds of excitable chatter.

"These are my girls." Jesse said. "They're gonna be moving in."

Beca laughed as the girls all around him cheered. Jesse held up a pair of dice to Beca.

"Kiss 'em."

"Jess?"

"Kiss them." He repeated. "For luck!"

Beca leaned up and placed a gentle kiss on the dice.

"I'm winning 'cause we're winners!" Jesse yelled as he flung the dice down the Craps table as the crowd around them held their breath.

The roar gave the young couple the answer they needed that Beca's kiss had worked. Jesse scooped Beca up in his arms and spun her around as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Did I ever tell you I love you?" He asked, nuzzling into her neck.

"No."

"I do."

"Still?"

"_Always_."

[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]

An hour later, Beca and Jesse sat in the modest hotel room they had decided to splash out on after their successes downstairs.

Beca had been quick to jump into the steam shower and had spent twenty minutes under the hot water, washing her hair several times and letting the steam soften her skin. She found the complimentary toiletries as exciting as their winnings and slathered the body butter all over her skin. Jesse ordered their first decent meal in a week from the room service menu, surprising Beca when she finally came out of the bathroom.

Jesse loved watching Beca enjoy the moment and pushed down the pang of guilt that he felt that he couldn't treat her to nights like this more often. He watched her, wrapped up in one of the fluffy bath robes laying on the huge bed, covered in clean, crisp white bed linen as she watched him count the money on the small table in front of him.

"Four thousand." Jesse said, gathering up a bundle of notes in front of him and carelessly throwing it at Beca. She sat up in their bed and reached up for the notes as they rained down all over her.

"This little pile here?" Jesse laughed as he tossed more notes in Beca's direction. "You guessed it. Four more, B. And what do you think this is?"

Beca laughed and Jesse realised how much he had missed that musical laugh and how relaxed Beca looked. His heart pounded with pleasure and as she laid on the bed, throwing handfuls of notes into the air, he never wanted her more than at that moment.

"Four more Beca!" Jesse grinned, standing from the small sofa he was perched on to toss more $20's at his wife. "Play with it, roll around with it. Enjoy yourself."

"How much is here Jess?" Beca said, rolling onto her side as he slotted onto the bed, placing a hand on her hip.

"The grand total is … $12,040. So we're halfway there, like, in an hour." Jesse said, kissing Beca's cheek and moving down to her neck. "I figure about … two hours tomorrow, we'll be home free."

"Come here." Beca said, placing her hands on his jawline.

"What?"

"I love you." Beca said simply, looking at him directing in the eye.

"I know that."

"No, I mean, even without the money."

"I love you more."

[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]

* * *

><p>AN - Thanks and dedication to cajunqueen714 and cuticlecareenetwork as without their almightly shoves, this story would never have gotten published and remained as a simple story to amuse myself on a rainy day.

A/N - Story is stolen from the 1993 film Indecent Proposal. I do not own the right to this film, Pitch Perfect, the characters within or anything in fact other than a ridiculously large mortgage.


	2. Bets And Wagers Of All Kinds

**A/N - I do not own the rights to Indecent Proposal or Pitch Perfect, the scripts or storyline. I, in fact, own nothing at all but my own teeth.**

**This is also unbeta'd so any istakes are my own. See what I did there?! ;)**

[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅] **Chapter Two - Bets And Wagers Of All Kinds** [̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]

_"Badabing!"_

_"Last call for wagers."_

_"Bet high!"_

_"Come on! Black!"_

_"Here we go, here we go!"_

_"Place your bets please."_

"Jesse, how much do we have left?" Beca turned to Jesse as the shouts and excited shrieks rang out around the craps table where they stood, hand in hand, as they watched their winnings from the day before slowly disintegrate before their eyes.

"We're at forty one hundred." Jesse said, looking at the chips in his hand.

"Should we stop?" Beca asked quietly, looking around at the mass of people around her. Some were dressed elegantly in cocktail dresses, some were dripping with diamonds but the majority favoured the more casual jeans look. The collection of accents surrounding them reminded Beca of the gambling mecca that Las Vegas portrayed itself to be. "We said we wouldn't go below five thousand."

"I know, but we are nearly there." Jesse replied, feeling the beads of sweat forming like a thick crust on his forehead. "Just a few more minutes and our luck with change again. We'll get what I lost back this morning and the rest of the money we need to get through this, I promise you."

"Jesse, it's not about promises, okay? Don't get obsessed with this. We can leave anytime." Beca said, imploringly. "We still have the other five thousand saved, right?"

"Yes, it's safe." Jesse said, patting his left pocket a couple of times before stiffening. He looked over to Beca who caught on to his expression quickly.

"What?"

"It's gone." He said, looking desperately at her confused face. "Here, hold these."

Jesse passed all the chips in his hands to Beca, who took to sorting them into value order, as he dipped his hands in his pocket feeling around as his palms grew sweaty.

"What's gone?" Beca asked weakly, although she knew immediately what Jesse had meant.

"The chip. I must have bet with it earlier thinking it was a hundred."

"Jesse? No?" Beca said, her cheeks flushing. She muttered the rest of her thoughts. "For fucks sake."

"I'm so sorry Beca."

Jesse pulled Beca into his side, holding her close and kissed the top of her head. She let him hold her, knowing that berating him about the lost money would do no good; he would already be doing that to himself. Their relationship was the only thing that hadn't completely fallen apart in the past few months.

"Okay, so we've got four thousand." Beca said confidentially. "Let's quit while we are ahead. That's enough for a couple of months, right? Enough breathing space so we can get things paid and perhaps start to save something for next month?"

"It's not enough Beca. We need to do this! We have to win all we owe. Last night was so easy. How are you not mad at me for being so stupid?"

"What's the point in getting mad? That money wasn't ours to begin with so let's just accept we were only supposed to be lucky enough for four thousand. And that's still more money than we ever could ever have hoped for. It's four thousand dollars! If we'd just won that we'd have been elated so-."

"-I've let you down." Jesse said.

"No, Jess." Beca said, cupping his chin in her hand and forcing him to look at her properly. "You haven't. You've never let me down."

"If I'd been better-"

"We are not doing this." Beca urged.

"We've got to keep going."

"Jesse." Beca said, taking one of his hands in hers. "I love you. You know that, right? But I cannot let you lose what we _do _have."

Despite his resistance, Beca dragged Jesse away from the craps table and towards the small coffee shop just off to the right of the backgammon tables. She ordered two black coffees, tipping sugar into one when they were ready and stirring with vigour. Pushing the heavily sweetened drink into his hands, she stroked his hair and settled into the seat next to him. They sipped in silence, Jesse calming down, even though he was mentally kicking himself for being so stupid.

"Do you want any more coffee?" A kindly looking, dark haired waitress stopped by their booth; her hands filled with menus and a glass coffee pot.

"No. No, thank you." Beca said, not looking up. The waitress carried on with her journey, used to the look of desperation in so many faces.

Jesse tossed a quarter in the air, catching it neatly in his hand and slapped it onto the table, the sound echoing noisily on the checkered plastic table.

"Tails, we quit. Heads, we go for it." Jesse said, rolling the chips in his hands.

Beca thought for a moment and shook her head.

"We've got enough Jesse. That's two months loan payment and we can stock up on food and buy a heater. Maybe even a bike so we can get about?"

"You gave up everything for me. You didn't take the easy way out and go off with someone rich, like you deserve. You took a chance on me."

Beca nodded as Jesse lifted his hand from the table and kissed his fingers.

"I'd do it again in an instant you nerd." She said, rubbing her thumb over his wrist. It was something she found would soothe him when he was upset. In truth, she still harboured the smallest of hints of regret and resentment over her sold music equipment, mixing table and laptop. She had saved mercilessly for four years to buy it and had cried when the buyer took it away. But it was six thousand dollars that they desperately needed at the time. And Jesse had promised that this lifestyle and the way they had to live on a mattress on the floor, sharing a single pillow and blanket wasn't going to be forever.

"So, I'm asking that you give me one more chance to make it right." Jesse said, snapping her out of her daydream and memories.

Beca nodded. Part of her wanted one last chance too.

[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]

_"Last call for wagers."_

_"No more bets."_

_"Play red!"_

_"Boom! There's the money spinner winner."_

"Okay, I'm feeling lucky." Jesse said, turning his full attention to Beca.

"I say we put it on red." Beca said, linking his hand into his pants pocket.

"All of it? Red?" Jesse asked.

"I feel red." Beca answered.

"Do you feel red, B?"

"We can do this, huh?"

"I'm going to put it all on." Jesse said, as he pushed the last of their winnings from the day before towards the red box near to where he stood.

"All right." Beca said; her mouth suddenly dry and the fingers on her free hand twitching.

"I'm putting it on red." Jesse confirmed as he stood back and pulled her close to him. He was feeling drunk on the cacophony of sights and sounds around him; the clanging and whizzing of the machines, the fast flashing lights and the loud, excitable, inane chatter and shouts of joy as people won more money than they could ever have imagined. He had already blocked out the vast majority of desperate looking people; preferring to shy away from the ones who had lost more than they could afford. He was kicking himself for being so stupid and not quitting while they were ahead. He knew that, last night, they had had about six months money, given to them, all for nothing. He knew he had been greedy. "Okay."

They stood silently as the small, white ball was released and watched as it held itself in the air for a few seconds before crashing to the roulette table into one of the little pockets, noisily bouncing back out again.

The noise was deafening to Beca.

"No, it's black!" Jesse shrieked, reaching for his chips and pulling them onto the black box.

"What are you doing?" Beca hissed as a short couple in matching "We Love Vegas" tee shirts turned and watched Jesse's reaction.

"It's black."

"No, it's red. _It's red_." Beca insisted, reaching down for the chips.

"Go with your instinct, right?" Jesse said, pulling her hand away and giving her a small push away from the table. "I think it's black. My gut says black."

"Jesse, leave it on red. It's r-"

"-No more bets." The dealer, with his name embroidered in red on his shirt, called out as the ball began to bounce less high and lingered in the small pockets for a fraction of a second longer.

"Come on, please." Beca urged as the potential to win over twenty thousand dollars rested on where the ball settled. She watched as it bounced a few times, time slowing down. She saw all their chips sitting in the black square. "_Please_."

She watched in sadness and disbelief as the ball settled neatly into a red pocket and she instantly turned to Jesse who stood there with his eyes closed. Blinded by fear and a tiny bit of rage and indignation, she reached forward to grab at the chips but they were already being scooped away.

"Too late, young lady." The dealer said, looking almost sternly at her as he began to re stack the chips back in their holders. He turned to the players on either side of him and called out to them all. "Place your bets!"

[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]

Half an hour later saw Beca and Jesse back in the coffee shop, sharing a hot cup of joe. They'd both emptied their pockets and pooled what money they had between them. The saddest thing about the whole encounter was that they were worse off now than when they had started.

Jesse stirred sugar into the cup after letting Beca have the first, hot half. He was cross with himself but he had said his piece and ranted and raved and then spent fifteen minutes apologising. Beca had done the same and while she was angry and upset, she was also to blame. They both accepted that they had been stupid and had settled down next to each other in the booth, Beca resting her head into Jesse's shoulder and he had his arm around her, subconsciously stroking her boob with his palm.

"B?"

"Yes?"

"Have I ever told you that I love you?"

"No."

"I do."

"Still?"

"_Always_." Jesse leaned down to place a kiss on the side of her cheek, taking a moment to breathe in the sweet smell of strawberries; the scent that decorated her hair.

"I want to go home." Beca said after a few minutes and Jesse nodded. He pushed the coffee cup into the middle of the table and signalled for the check. After paying, they sauntered over towards the parking lot to collect their van. Making their way through the plethora of tables, Beca's eyes were drawn to the man she had seen the day before in the boutique shop.

Jesse noticed that Beca had slowed down to take a moment to stare at the broad shoulder man with the chiselled jaw and the piercing green eyes. He narrowed his eyes for the briefest of moments and wasn't quite sure what to make of the way Beca was staring at him.

_"Bank side, player side."_

_"All set?"_

"Cards, please." The dealer spoke out strong and true to the room to the small crowd that had congregated around the players.

_"Turning for the players."_

_"Pass is to the right, please."_

Beca pushed forward towards the front to watch the suit as he looked at the corner of his cards, before picking them up gently in his fingers and tossing them into a pile in the middle of the card table.

"Player draws nothing."

"Player has zero." The dealer confirmed as, using a small wooden rake, he pulled the cards towards him before scooping the chips placed neatly in front of the players. The dealer, a short stocky man with a thin moustache and just the smallest hints of stale body odour, called out to table. ""And set."

_"Player side, banker side."_

_"Any other bets?"_

"Who's that guy?" Jesse whispered to Beca who shrugged her shoulders in response despite not being able to take her eyes off him.

"That's Luke Bryant." A dark skinned man with a tattoo of a Christmas tree on his neck hissed out of the corner of his mouth from the other side of Beca. Jesse's lips twitched and turned into an odd shape. The tattooed man looked at him like he should know who the fancy man was in the very tailored and clearly expensive Armani suit. "He's a damn billionaire."

"Oh." Jesse said, resting his hand on Beca's shoulder. She had cocked her head to one side whilst staring as Luke Bryant. They'd heard the name before, knew him by reputation only as he'd been in the news recently as Europe's most eligible bachelor. He'd made a name for himself on the stock market as ruthless, calculating but shrewd business man, endearing himself to the hearts of many with his overly generous gifts and donations to charity.

"That's a rich son of a bitch there." The guy continued, nudging Jesse in the ribs. "He's down over a million dollars already."

Beca's eyes widened and she turned to face the man who was talking. He discreetly pointed towards the table.

"See them little gold things he's playing with?" He said and Beca turned her attention back to the table. She watched as Luke picked up ten chips at once, letting them fall back to the table before stacking them up again and doing the same thing. "They are worth ten thousand dollars apiece."

Beca heard the catch in Jesse's throat as they observed Luke hold $100,000 in his hand, as easily as if they were bottle tops.

"Every time he lays one down, I want to … I mean, look at him, how cool he is."

Jesse stood a little closer to Beca as they continued to stand and watch Luke lose hand after hand, tossing chips onto the pile like they were nothing. Beca thought it was the most ridiculous thing she had ever seen, knowing how just two or three of those chips would cure all of their money problems in an instant.

"That son of a bitch must get more girls sucking his balls than you can shake a stick at."

Beca turned sharply at the comment. She was fairly unoffended at most things she heard, working long hours in the diner had taught her more about life than anything else. The tattooed guy looked down at her face.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend."

"Not at all." Beca said. "It's just been a long day. Come on Jess. Let's go."

"Mmm hmm." Jesse said, mesmerised by the way Luke hadn't broken a sweat as he sat there, having lost at least $500,000 while they had been standing there. Luke reached out a manicured hand as the dealer dealt the first cards of the new game, displaying a neat and tidy but very expensive watch that twinkled under the lights of the casino. He looked up as Beca turned to leave, pushing into the front line of the crowd surrounding the poker table, spying the exit just off to her right. Jesse was surprised to see his eyes visibly widen when he saw Beca. Beca was still negotiating her way to the front as Luke turned his cards over, throwing them down to the table with a triumphant look on his face.

_"Player wins."_

The crowd surrounding the table erupted into loud applause as Luke picked up the chips that were pushed towards him, stacking them neatly onto the slightly diminished pile in front of him.

"Come on Jesse!" Beca called out through the noisy crowd and Jesse stepped forward.

"What y'all doing? Gambling?" Their festively tattooed friend asked them.

"It's about time we left." Jesse grinned, as Beca tugged him on the arm.

"Y'all married?"

"Let's go!" Beca said, determinedly.

"Stick around, gamble a little!" The man said to Jesse. "It's all good here."

_"Excuse me."_ A clipped voice spoke into the crowd.

"We have a long drive. Good to meet you." Jesse said, shaking the hand of his new friend. "Have a good night."

"Excuse me." Luke Bryant spoke crisply to Jesse as he turned away from the dark skinned man, ready to follow Beca out and head for home. "Pardon me."

Jesse looked up and stared directly into the face of the young British man.

"Would you mind lending me your wife?" Luke said, a quirky twist to his mouth.

"What?" Jesse said, recoiling slightly at the question. He watched Beca stop pushing through the crowd out of the corner of his eye as she turned to listen, her eyes shining with perplexity and a hint of annoyance.

"Is that your wife?"

"Excuse me?"

"Can I please borrow your wife?" Luke asked again, tucking his hands into his well-cut trouser pockets. "For luck."

"You'd have to ask her." Jesse said, his tone full of amusement, knowing Beca would probably tell him where to go.

Luke turned and the crowd parted, allowing him space to move. He offered his arm out to Beca, careful not to elbow her in face.

"May I?" He asked.

Beca cast her eyes towards Jesse, and licked her bottom lip. He knew what she was asking so moved to stand a little closer to her.

"Go for it." He said.

"I don't think it's a good idea." Beca murmured. "We should just go."

"Just for a moment or two?" Luke asked, listening intently.

"I'll go!" A voluptuous green haired lady with more earrings in her eyebrows than her ears laughed out loudly.

"Go ahead. It might be fun." Jesse urged, interested to see what was going to happen. "What do we got to lose?"

"Well?" Luke asked again, taking a step forwards and swinging his arm out to indicate the table.

"He ain't gonna bite sugar!"

"You go and see what happens."

"Go ahead." Jesse said, giving Beca a little push and ignoring the murderous look she shot at him. "We'll be here backing you up."

The crowd clapped as Beca shrugged her shoulders and followed Luke towards the chair he had been sitting on. He held out the chair for her which she took, tucking her feet underneath and placing her small hands on the table.

"Thank you." She said as he took the seat next to her, pulling his chair closer to her and slipping an arm onto the back of the plush chair Beca was using.

"See if she can get a little of that money from him." Jesse winked, knowing he was probably going to be pay the price for his bravado when she got him home. He thought he might as well enjoy watching her squirm with all of the people in the crowd watching their interactions.

"Do you think she'll ever come back?" A voice laughed out, clapping Jesse on the back.

"Umm-" Jesse mumbled back, watching Beca intently as Luke leaned into whisper in her ear.

"-I'm just bullshitting you man."

"Thank you for this." Luke spoke quietly into Beca's ear as he let his knee touch her leg. "I've been losing all day long. Around $700,000 or so. You appear and I win my first hand."

Beca reached out a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, embarrassed that his voice and words made her face flush slightly. She sort out Jesse's face in the crowd and was pleased to see him smiling back at her.

"You brought me luck. I'd say that's a sign. Wouldn't you?"

"A sign?" Beca asked, turning to face him, pleased that it gave her the opportunity to move slightly to face him and move her leg away from his.

"Would you like a drink?" Luke asked.

"No, thank you."

"Candy?" Luke said, an amused twist to his mouth as he picked up a pile of chips from the table and Beca took the bait from their interaction the day before and grinned.

"I'm fine, thank you. What is it you want-"

_"Place your bets."_

_"Bank side, player side."_

"I'd like you to place this bet for me." Luke said, dropping the chips into Beca's open palm.

"A hundred thousand." Beca said, her eye widening in surprise.

_"Any other bets?"_

"Just like that?" Beca asked.

"Just like that." Luke repeated, chuckling quietly as he shifted in his seat towards her. Beca cleared her throat. The smell of his aftershave was intoxicating and she struggled to remember a time when Jesse had smelt that good. While he didn't smell bad, long gone were the days when they splashed out on perfumes and colognes.

_"All bets set."_

"There is a twenty tie-in."

"How does that work?" Beca asked, pushing one of the chips towards the pile in the middle of the table.

"Not like that!" Luke said, pulling the $20,000 bet back towards his pile.

"Oh, sorry."

"It's okay. I've already placed the bet for this hand. Just watch now."

_"All bets set. Cards, please."_

_"Turning for the players."_

"What we want …" Luke leant forward and whispered into Beca's ear. His breath was warm and inviting in her ear and she wasn't quite sure what to make of the goose bumps invading her arms and chest. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat. "... what we need … is …. a … nine."

Luke looked down at the cards being turned in front of him. He made no movement and kept his eyes steady as a two of diamonds was shown.

"We don't like that." Luke deadpanned.

_"Player draws nothing."_

_"Cards for the bank, please."_

_"Bank's a winner with a natural eight. Pay the bank."_

"Was that a costly mistake?" Beca asked.

"Let's just call it 'bad luck'." Luke explained.

"Oh." Beca said, not quite understanding.

"That just cost me another $300,000."

"You are a million dollars down?" Beca asked, shifting uncomfortably. She looked over to Jesse who was busy chatting with a lady wearing a Hooters shirt. "I guess I'm not so lucky after all."

"Do you like cards?" Luke smiled out, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt under his jacket.

"Not especially." Beca answered honestly.

"Wish I had asked you sooner." Luke said without malice; an almost musical lilt to his voice. "Dice?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Beca said, fiddling with the hem of her shirt.

"Sam." Luke spoke softly and Beca noticed the bodyguard she had seen the night before step forward.

"Yes, Mr B?"

"One." Luke said, lifting his head slightly to look at Sam directly in the eye.

"Excuse me, Mr B." Sam said, nodding his head in understanding.

"Maybe I should go." Beca said, making eyes at Jesse again. This time he caught her eye and nodded at her to make sure she knew he was still there, paying attention. He cocked his head to one side as he seemed to understand that Beca was uncomfortable.

"This shouldn't take too long." Luke said, lifting a finger to the waitress who was lingering just off to the left. She nodded and walked away.

"What shouldn't?"

"This. Now … I hope you find _this_ interesting." Luke said, standing and offering his hand to Beca who took it. She was surprised at how warm his hands were, how soft his fingers seemed. He indicated with his arm. "This way. Bring your husband."

Jesse followed both Luke and Beca as they pushed through the crowd behind Sam, who walked first to clear a path. They paused at the Craps table that had seen the demise of Beca and Jesse's winnings not half an hour before. A casino worker, dressed menacingly in a smart black tuxedo and small black framed sunglasses, touched the earpiece fitted snugly in his left ear and nodded to the dealer behind the table.

"It's here." He said.

"Yes sir."

"It's here now." The casino worked said quietly to Sam.

"I'll take it." Sam said as a large, clear suitcase was handed to the casino worker.

"I understand." He said.

"Sir." Sam said, laying the suitcase down on the edge of the Craps table.

"Thank you." Luke said, turning to Beca and simply saying in his clipped English accent. "One million dollars."

"That's a lot of money." Beca said, unable to take her eyes off of the suitcase that Sam was currently opening in front of her.

"There you are, Mr B. One million dollars."

The crowd around them whistled and murmured their excitement. For most of them, it was their first time seeing such a large sum of money and they all craned their necks to get a better look. Jesse stood back, crossing his arms in front of his chest, the defined muscles of his arms showing clearly under his shirt.

"Oh, boy!" He murmured. He was enjoying watching Beca's face as she looked in amazement at the amount of money in front of her. He could see her fingers twitching and he knew she was desperate to reach out and touch the wads of cash.

"Bet it all." Luke said.

"Excuse me?" Beca said.

The dealer unwrapped a new set of dice, discarding the wrapper neatly into the bin under the table. He set out of the dice on the edge of the table and took a polite step backwards.

"Pick two." Luke said and Beca leaned forward to collect one in each hand.

"Now just throw a seven."

"A seven."

"Yes." Luke said, pausing for a moment. "Please.

"How much is the bet?" Beca asked and watched Luke indicate the million dollars on the edge of the table. "Oh. No pressure then!"

"You want to throw an eleven? That's all right too. That'll will get me the money I've lost back. A seven will quadruple the bet."

Beca wiped her hand across her brow and looked at Jesse. He was smiling broadly but noticing the look on her face, he mouthed _'it's okay'_ to her. She mouth back _'it's not my fucking money'_ and shrugged her shoulders. She leant forward with the dice in her left hand and was about to shake them when Luke coughed.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Luke asked and Beca whipped around. Luke nodded towards the dice and Beca understand. She was confused at the same time. Had he been watching them yesterday when she'd kissed the dice; Jesse's rationalised thinking that it was her kisses that brought them all the luck.

She brought the dice right up to her lips and looking Luke directly in the eye, she placed a gentle kiss to the cubes as the crowd roared with enthusiasm, drama and anticipation.

Jesse felt a little uncomfortable watching Beca surreptitiously flirt with Luke. He wasn't sure how he felt about it.

Beca shook the dice in her hand before taking a step up to the highly polished mahogany rim. She took a deep breath and flung the dice down towards the other end of the Craps table. The crowd held its breath as the dice lingered in the air longer than necessary. Beca subconsciously backed up into Jesse, who wrapped an arm around her waist instinctively. He could feel her heart pounding as the dice bounced a couple of times, coming to a rest eventually. Beca raised herself up on her tiptoes to see the value of the two small red smooth opportunities that she had just tossed without a thought to the consequences.

"WINNER!" The crowd roared as the dice settled, proudly showing a three and a four on their respective faces.

_"Winner! Seven!"_

Luke immediately turned towards Beca and Jesse, giving Jesse the oddest look as Jesse fist pumped the air before grabbing Beca and lifting her up high. She wrapped her legs around his waist and buried her face into his neck as he kissed her cheek several times.

"B?"

"Yes?"

"Have I ever told you that I love you?"

"No."

"I do."

"Still?"

[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]

They were still holding onto each other while all around them people were laughing and clapping Jesse on the back telling him to _'hold onto that one; she's pure gold'_ to which he replied that he had no intention of ever letting her go. Luke pushed through the crowd.

"Hello." He said, holding out his hand to Jesse. "Luke Bryant."

"Oh hey. Jesse Swanson."

The shook hands as Jesse lowered Beca to the floor. She spun around, still holding onto Jesse.

"Want to go again?" Luke laughed.

"Think I oughta quit now?!" She said in response.

"I think I should. I need to credit my account. Excuse me a moment." Luke said, turning to Sam and nodding.

"Sweetie, that was amazing. That was incredible."

"Wish it was ou-"

"I need to sign for it." Luke said, turning back to the couple.

"This is my wife Beca." Jesse said. "I guess you met!"

"Hello! Becky?"

"It's, um, it's Bec-"

"-Thank you both, so much." Luke interrupted. "Are you staying at the hotel?"

"Actually, we're just leaving." Jesse said.

"You're leaving?"

"We're on our way out." Beca stressed.

"No, don't do that. We got to celebrate." Luke said, animatedly. "Let me arrange a room for you here."

"That's very nice, but …" Jesse said, looking down at Beca.

"I insist." Luke said, noticing the look between the couple.

"Please, it's the least I can do."

"Okay then." Jesse said, ignoring the slight dig in his side from Beca.

"Really, just sign for it." Luke said, turning away at the tug on his arm from Sam. "Anything you want."

He walked away but turned as he took the second step.

"Oh, there's some lovely shops off the lobby. Have you seen them?" Jesse missed the wink Luke shot over at Beca.

[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]

"You won a million dollars today B." Jesse said, as they sat on the sofa in their very plush penthouse suite, their legs entwined and their fingers dancing together over Jesse's knee. They'd spent a good half an hour, running through the abundance of rooms, playing with the gadgets adorning one of the priciest rooms of the hotel. Beca had been fascinated by the electric window blinds while Jesse had whistled at the size of their bathtub, suggesting to Beca that they get all hot and soapy in there together before dinner.

"_He_ won it."

"Well, you won it for him." Jesse said, beginning to massage Beca's palms.

"That feels nice." She said, laying her head back into the soft leather on the back of the sofa. There was a gentle knocking on their suite door. "Don't get it."

"Just stay right here." Jesse said, disentangling his limbs from Beca's. He opened the door to see an older gentleman in a dark grey suit and black tie, holding a large white box wrapped in a black bow.

"Hello. William Shackleford."

"Hello. Jesse Swanson."

"For Mrs Swanson, from Luke Bryant."

"Oh." Jesse said, taking the box handed to him. "Um, please, well, thank him for us."

"I'll do that. Mr Bryant is hosting a gathering tonight at his suite at 9:00. If you can find the time in your schedule, he'd be most pleased. Suite 1045."

Jesse thanked Mr Shackleford and closed the door, juggling the large box in his hand. He spun around to show Beca.

"Look what you got."

"What?" She asked, looking up from her examination of her hands.

"Gift from Bryant."

"Really?" She asked, quietly interested. "Open it up."

Jesse laid the box on the small dining table and pulled at the soft, silky ribbon, tossing it to one side as he lifted the lid of the box. Pulling apart the layer, he flattened them to the sides, scooping the box up and turning it to show Beca.

"That's $5,000." Beca exclaimed, startling at the sight of the dress she'd seen the day before.

"How do you know that?"

"I saw it in a store downstairs."

"Oh." Jesse said, looking at the cocktail dress in the box. "Well, lucky for him you like black!"

"Yeah."

[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]

"Are you ready Becs?" Jesse called out, having checked his watch several times. He hated being late and didn't want to turn up late to Luke's gathering where everyone would probably be staring at them as they walked in; being the outsiders to the rich that they were.

"No. I'm not going!" Beca said from behind the bathroom door.

"Why not?" Jesse asked, knocking gently on the door.

"Don't come in." Beca urged.

"Too late!" Jesse said and took in the sight before him.

Beca had taken the time to fix her hair, straightening her usual loose curls into a straight, sleek, sophisticated style and it hung far and low down her back. She'd found an array of makeup in one of the drawers and had toned down her usual heavy eye liner, opting to let her natural blue hues shine through with the help of mascara alone. She looked fresh and young and Jesse felt a stirring in his trousers that he hadn't felt for the longest time.

He took in her pale shoulders, the softness of her skin, unmarked and unblemished by scars and wrinkles as he took in her frame in the dress that clung in all the right places and accentuated the features her mama gave her. His eyes took in the swell of her breasts and the curve of her hips and he looked down the shimmery fabric to the hem that stopped well above her knee. He loved her legs almost as much as he loved her chest. They were muscular, tones and soft.

He did, however, have to stifle the laugh in his mouth as he looked down to her feet, noting the black combat boots she had her feet poked into.

"Erm …?" He squeaked out.

"Exactly!" She said, gesturing to the floor. "Not exactly the look I think Bryant wanted! I'm not going. You can just go on your own."

"You are the reason he wants us to go."

"Wait? Where did you get those pants?" Beca asked, eyeing up Jesse's dress pants; a complete difference to the tatty and old jeans he was wearing not an hour before.

"I used the emergency fund and rented a tux."

"You did ... what?" Beca said, the colour draining from her face. The emergency fund was just supposed to be for gas and it was their ticket home.

"Well … I thought you might … just … like …" Jesse said, bringing his hands out from behind his back. "... these."

He held up a pair of silver, sparkly, high heeled shoes that shone under the stark light of the bathroom. Her eyes immediately were drawn to them.

"I rented a tux so you would be proud to be on my arm."

"... Jesse?"

"Don't." He said, holding them out to her. "God, Beca. You look unbelievably beautiful. Just enjoy this moment and let me worry about everything else, okay?"

Beca reached for the shoes in one hand and his waistband in the other.

"Thank you." She said, reaching up to kiss him. "Thank you."

[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]

They arrived at Suite 1045 just after nine fifteen. The sounds of polite chatter filled the room and the harpist played sedately in the corner. This was not their kind of party; they were used to a keg in the corner and packets of chips on paper plates.

All around them, expensive dresses and jewellery floated about next to well-cut suits and over shined shoes. Manner and good grooming seeped out of every corner and trays of hors d'oeuvres and miniature appetisers were wafted about by waiters dressed in green. Within moments, tall glasses of champagne were pressed into their hands and the snooty inspection by the other guests began.

Beca couldn't have loved Jesse more than she did right at that moment. Picking up the shoes and renting the tuxedo seemed like an expensive waste of money but she appreciated the gesture more than she could say. For a while, they made small talk, fitting in with the other guests before they found themselves holed up in a corner just the two of them. They had made a pact before the party not to discuss anything negative and now Jesse had Beca tucked into a corner making suggestive remarks to her, breathing love and kisses onto her neck.

The piano soon replaced the harp and Beca and Jesse began to dance together, Beca throwing her head back as they laughed at their own jokes and simply enjoyed themselves. Beca was aware of a pair of eyes on them and as Jesse spun her around, Luke's face came into view.

"Would you care to join me outside, by the pool?" He asked as they came to a halt, once he'd stepped onto the dance floor. All around him, people were practically bowing to him, smiling like idiots and fawning over the tall blond, British man.

"Erm, sure." Jesse said, glancing quickly at Beca who shrugged her mouth and followed both men outside. The night air was cool and she shivered slightly as it stung her skin.

"Jesse, would you like an ale?"

"Excuse me?"

"A beer."

"Oh, um, yes please."

"Cool. Becky?"

"Sure."

Luke clicked his fingers and one of his henchmen appeared by his side within seconds. Luke murmured into his ear.

"I throw these gatherings but I hate them. It's all falseness and post shirts" He said, loosening his tie and pulling it from around his neck. "Much rather by supping a pint and watching the footie in comfy threads. But needs must."

"Thank you for inviting us." Beca said politely and accepting the frosty glass of cool beer that was served to her from a silver tray.

"It is the least I can do. I owe you a debt of gratitude for today. Cheers! Your health!"

"Cheers!"

While Luke initially lead the discussions, soon enough the three new friends began to relax in each others' company. Luke was interested in hearing about Jesse's music studio and Beca's halted music career. He listened wistfully as they briefly told him of their run of bad luck and was impressed about their enthusiasm and positivity

In turn, Luke told them of his business empire and they were equally as enthralled upon learning that he was only a couple of years older than they. Before long, there were only a handful of guests left and Beca was cold, despite wearing Jesse's tuxedo jacket so Luke suggested they move inside to the billiards room and play a couple of games of pool.

Beca took a seat near to the small bar area and accepted a glass of pink champagne. Luke lined the balls up on the table and Jesse fetched the cues. Shackleford popped his head around the door and signalled to Luke who nodded and went back to what he was doing.

"Who is that guy, Shackleford?" Jesse asked, chalking the end of the stick.

"Someone who works for me. Someone I trust." Luke replied, making the break. "He killed someone once."

Beca's head snapped up and she caught Jesse's eye who shrugged his shoulders in return.

"Tell me …" Luke continued. "... where do you see yourself in, say, ten years?"

"I wouldn't mind being a billionaire like yourself." Jesse laughed, taking his turn. He popped the blue into the top pocket and resisted the urge to fist pump the air for the second time that day.

"Nice shot." Luke said, congratulating his opponent. "But I mean, beyond money. What would satisfy you completely, let you sleep well at night?"

"What, are you saying you're not satisfied?" Jesse asked, surprised at the line of questioning.

"Who is?" Luke asked as he bent down to take his shot.

"I am." Beca said quietly before she took a sip of champagne.

"She mean it?" Luke asked, a smug smile posted on his lips.

"I hope so!" Jesse said turning to Beca who smiled warmly at him and winked back.

"Well, then you may not have won in Vegas, but you're a lucky man …" Luke said, pausing to look at his watch. "... 'cause I got money, security, I have businesses, employees, power and homes. But you have something that I just don't have."

"Well, I guess there's limits to what money can buy." Jesse said honestly, not meaning to cause any offence to the man who was paying for their stay overnight.

"Not many." Luke said after a lengthy pause.

"Well, some things aren't for sale." Beca said, from her bar stool.

"Such as?" Luke asked, looking her directly in the eye.

"You can't buy people." Beca answered, cocking her head to one side as she spoke.

"That's naive, Becky." Luke responded, not unkindly. "I buy people every day."

"In business, maybe, but not when_ rea_l emotions are involved." Beca said, thinking of everything she had Jesse had sacrificed to get where they were.

"So what you are saying is, you can't buy love?" Luke questioned. "That's a bit of a cliché, don't you think?"

"It's absolutely true." Beca said, her jaw set fast.

"Is it?" Luke pushed and Beca got feel her face flushing with frustration.

She shrugged her shoulders in response.

"What do you think?" Luke asked Jesse.

"I agree with Becs." Jesse said, taking a step towards her.

"You do?" Luke said. "Well then, let's test the cliché, shall we?"

Jesse let the pool cue sink to the floor as his eyes swept to look at Beca who shook her head and rolled her eyes in answer to the unspoken question.

"Suppose …" Luke said, picking up a glass of Fireball whisky from the small ledge surrounding the room. The ice chinked quietly in the silence. "... suppose, I were to offer you one million dollars …"

Beca leant forward on her bar stool as Jesse took another step towards her. Luke faced Jesse straight on and spoke clearly.

" … for one night with your wife."

"I'd _assume_ you're kidding." Jesse said after a long moment, his eyes wide and alert.

"Let's pretend I'm not." Luke said, a cockiness to his smile. "What would you say?"

"He'd tell you to go to hell." Beca said, jumping down off of the stool and standing by Jesse's side.

"I didn't hear him." Luke said candidly."

"_I'd_ tell you to go to hell." Jesse spoke clearly, his jaw set determinedly.

"That's a reflex answer because you view it as hypothetical. But let's say that there were real money behind it. I'm not kidding. You saw my winnings today. You know I have the money. A million dollars. The night would come and go, but the money could last a lifetime. Think of it. A million dollars. A lifetime of security … for just the one night."

He let the statement hang in the air while he lined up the cue ball, aiming for the furthest pocket possible.

"Don't answer right away. But consider it."

"Seriously?" Beca said before turning to whisper in Jesse's ear. _'Come on, let's go.'_

"We're positive, okay?" Jesse said.

"Are you? One _million_ dollars for one night with your wife. What have you got to lose?"


End file.
